Night Lords
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| Night Lords | |
|---|---|
| [[Image:{{{image}}}|150px]] | |
| Primarch | Konrad Curze |
| Battlecry | We have come for you! |
| Colours | Dark Blue (lightning details sometimes used) |
The Night Lords are one of the traitor legions of Chaos Space Marines in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. They were among the first to fall to Chaos, and use fear tactics as effectively as any weapon.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Primarch
The Primarch of the Night Lords legion was Konrad Curze (also known as Night Haunter).
As described in the Index Astartes article [1], the character's history begins with Konrad Curze as a child, crashing into the core of Nostramo Quintus- a planet with almost no natural light. Nostramo is depicted as a dystopian society; the vast majority of the population living in poverty while the rich exploit them. Crime is mostly unchecked, depression inescapable, and overpopulation is kept in check mainly by suicide. Unlike many of the other Primarchs origin stories, Konrad Curze is not taken in by any family, but left to raise himself. Due to an "unrecorded event" in his maturity, the Primarch becomes a sadistic vigilante, punishing the criminal element to such a degree that the planet's crime rate falls to zero simply through fear, and eventually rising to become the planet's sole ruler. In this time, the Primarch becomes known as 'Night Haunter' by the population.
Beyond the usual Primarch abilities of enhanced strength, durability and intellect, Konrad Curze is also shown to have precognitive abilities that allow him to foresee the darkest possible future events. Konrad Curze is claimed to have foreseen both the betrayal of his brother Primarchs against the Emperor in the form of a father waging war against his sons, and the destruction of his own world, in the form of a ball of pure darkness being destroyed by bright beams of white. A particularly dark and potent example was depicted when the Emperor reunited with Konrad Curze, causing the Primarch to scream until calmed by the Emperor, prompting this exchange between the two:
"Konrad Curze, be at peace. I have arrived, and I intend to take you home."
"That is not my name, father. I am Night Haunter, and I know full well what you intend for me."
Konrad Curze saw himself as a necessary evil, a terrible monster employed by humanity to spare itself the worst horrors survival demanded that it commit. Where the marines of other legions were seen as nobles, the Night Lords were seen as grotesques. The Primarch viewed himself as a tragic hero and an unloved monster, a duality reinforced by the recollections of Zso Sahaal in the novel "Lord of the Night"
Konrad Curze is physically described as a pale and towering being of incredible presence, with "pallid, sunken features" and "eyes black and cold as obsidian". The only mention of his choice of weapon is in the stories of his youth, where he murdered with his bare hands.
[edit] The Great Crusade
The article goes on to state that Konrad Curze took control of the VIII legion, renamed the Night Lords, and studied the doctrines of the Space Marines under Fulgrim's tutelage. The Night Lords of this time period are written as "an efficient, humourless force", possessing the "fanatical thoroughness of witch hunters". Their armour is described as being decorated with images designed to inspire fear in the enemy, to the point where rumours of their impending presence caused whole star systems to "pay all outstanding tithes, ceased all illegal activity completely and killed those who bore deformities rather than invite a purge from the Night Lords". This extreme behavior grew more excessive as the legion ignorantly replenished its ranks with criminals from Nostramo Quintus, which had degenerated back to normal in the absence of the Night Haunter. The Primarch is shown to lose some control over the Legion, while his visions were increasing in both lucidity and quantity.
After confiding a vision in which the Emperor kills him and his brothers, Konrad Curze is confronted by Rogal Dorn in reproach. After a brutal encounter, during which Rogal Dorn is savagely wounded, Curze is exiled to his chambers while the council of Primarchs debate. Soon after, he makes a violent escape rather than face responsibility for his actions.
However, Zso Sahaal from Lord of the Night asserts that the Emperor betrayed Konrad Curze, putting blame for all excesses firmly and solely at the Primarch's feet. As a result, Konrad Curze and Rogal Dorn came to blows, causing the council of Primarchs to confine Konrad Curze. It is further claimed that while Konrad Curze meditated in confinement, the first of the Emperor's assassins attempted and failed to take his life. This final betrayal motivated Konrad Curze to escape, eventually taking his Night Lords fleet to Nostramo and destroying it.
[edit] The Horus Heresy
Konrad Curze's terrible acts caused him to become susceptible to the whispers of Chaos. The campaigns of the Night Lords became less justifiable, terror campaigns leaving a trail of devastated worlds across the galaxy. Conrad Kurze no longer crusaded in the Emperor's name, instead fighting only in the name of death and fear. Eventually, the Emperor was forced to order the recall of Konrad Curze to answer charges laid against him and his men. But before the Night Lords reached Earth a new crisis erupted. In Lord of the Night, (Spurrier, 2005) it is claimed that even the most excessive actions of the Night Lords were sanctioned by the Emperor and when they were no longer necessary, Konrad Curze and his legion were used as public scapegoats to hide the dark side of the crusade and foster a false and noble image of the Emperor.
When the Horus Heresy broke out, Konrad Curze was quick to swear his support to Warmaster Horus. Unlike the other traitors, however, the Legion sided with none of the Chaos Gods, instead using the forces of Chaos as tools to utilise in their terror campaigns. Slowly but surely, the Night Lords, now almost entirely comprised of murderers and criminals, began to carve a bloody path towards Terra.
After the invasion of Terra, the Night Lords did not splinter and flee like the rest of the Traitor Legions. Instead, they swept across the Eastern Fringe in a campaign of genocide and terror the likes of which has never been seen before or since, and betrayed the increasing sense of self-destruction which drove the Night Lords. Their actions even included the destruction of Nostramo by the Night Lords via Orbital Bombardment, the white lances of the fleet's batteries holding sync with the visions of Konrad Curze.
So great a menace became the Legion that literally half the operatives of the Callidus Temple were dispatched to slay the Night Lords' Primarch, in hopes of ending the slaughter. Eventually one of the assassins, M'Shen, was able to penetrate Konrad Curze's fortress and slay him, though it is known that Konrad Curze allowed her entry, ordering his commanders and soldiers to let her pass without molestation, though no one has ever been sure the reason. Judging by his enigmatic last words, however, it is reasonably certain that Konrad Curze saw his death as vindication from his crimes, placing the burden of his deeds on his slayer, and freeing him of blame. M'Shen herself did not long survive her target. One of Konrad Curze's lieutenants pursued and killed the assassin. Alternatively, there is a minority belief that Konrad Curze escaped his death. The belief is held that his precognitive powers forearned him of his fate, and so he engineered a false death to be free of his self-imposed burden. The evidence of the vid-recording of M'Shen and Konrad Curze that ends with M'Shen leaping at Curze, but before any stroke is delivered, is said to be too convenient, and that the death of M'Shen before any confirmation could be delivered lends the theory some credibility.
It is implied in Lord of the Night that Konrad Curze had a dual personality. "He knew that he was two men. One was... just and righteous-" the daemon spat the words, disgusted "- whilst the other... mm... the other had felt the kiss of Chaos all its life. One thrived on focus. The other ate fear."
[edit] Combat Doctrine
The Night Lords thrive on sowing fear and confusion amongst the enemy. It is common practice for the communications of a planet targeted for attack by the Night Lords to be disabled and voices of prisoners being tortured to death broadcasted to the entire planet. The forces of the Legion then make planetfall and begin to slaughter the inhabitants at their leisure, making visible examples of those in power. They give no quarter, have no mercy, and honour no surrender. No targeted world has ever been spared, and the catalogue of atrocities continues to expand; this is their way of slowly wearing down the enemy's will to resist.
The Night Lords do not have any grand agenda or unholy crusade to fulfil, only fighting for the love of killing, in particular gunning down those with no way to fight back. Darkness is their ally, and the Legion's innate abilities give them an advantage over their enemies. They are masters of stealth and fear tactics, understanding that they are as effective as any weapon, and will patiently win numerous small victories if that is what it takes to achieve their goals.
They are particularly specialised in the use of very fast assault units, which spring from nowhere to decimate their opponents. They are famed for the excessive use of Chaos Space Marine Bikers, Raptors, and enslaved flying daemons called Furies, who share the Night Lords' love of slaughter and fear. As well as having an advantage during night fights, where their upbringing in total darkness sets them apart from others and allows them to see further than any other Legion's Marines, they are experts at concealing themselves and are almost impossible to set apart from their surroundings when not moving or firing.
In an insurgency setting, it has been demonstrated that a Night Lords Commander by the name of Zso Sahaal, successfully manipulated a local Imperium wishing cult to follow him and act as his private army. Sahaal managed to pass himself off as an Adeptus Astartes (Loyalist Space Marine) and by using his Legion's famed terror tactics, managed to maintain morale and discipline long enough to stage an assault on the locality of Cupseal, and the hive at large, shortly before a planetary invasion by the Night Lord's Legion proper.
Hit and run tactics are the only tactics widely employed by the Legion. Short and violent assaults by overwhelming superior forces are commonplace, either on a tactical, strategic or interplanetary scale. While this is comparable with the Alpha Legion's more insidious combat doctrine, the Night Lords doctrine is to totally abjure the worship of Chaos, excluding daemonic summoning in its entirety. The power of Chaos is only to be used in small doses to protect and aid the individual warrior as another tool in their arsenal of fear.
[edit] Battlecry
"We have come for you!"
[edit] Appearance
The appearance of the Night Lords has undergone several minor changes and this is probably due to Games Workshop's habit of reinventing their games every few years. Currently the Night Lords are portrayed as wearing dark blue power armour, trimmed in brass/gold, decorated with symbols portraying fear or death, frequently including lightning bolts playing over their night-shaded armour. The only change that has occurred since the Horus Heresy is to include unholy iconography amongst their armour's decorations.
The Chapter's symbol is that of a bat-winged skull, often fanged and/or horned. This has changed in only minor details since the time the Legion was still loyal to the Emperor of Mankind.
Initially the Night Lords were portrayed as wearing all black armour with red highlighting on the shoulder studs and red lens in the helmet. In fact a fallen Night Lords Marine can is shown on the old Space Marine box set surrounded by Ultra Marines. However, it is equally possible that this 'marine' was simply from an unspecified force and was painted in black and red to appear sinister and thus 'evil' to contrast with the blue clad Ultra Marines.
The Night Lords symbol has also undergone several evolutions and was originaly a red bat and this is shown in Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness [1] in which the Night Lords are shown as a force worshiping Khorne although the Night Lords are now portrayed as a Chaos Undivided Legion.
[edit] Beliefs of the Legion
The Night Lords pre-heresy doctrine has been described as one that uses the psychological effects of fear in order to accomplish a goal. In order to ensure that the Legion were not overcome by their prediliction towards sadism, focus was of utmost importance to this end. Characters like Konrad Curze and Talonmaster Zso Sahaal were the main proponents of this philosophy[2].
The Legion's current beliefs in the Warhammer 40,000 universe are based purely on a love of killing and the fear it inspires, as means unto itself [3], exemplified by characters like Daemon Prince Acerbus from Lord of the Night. Further, the Legion is only inspired by power and wealth and unlike most other traitor legions, are not motivated by religious faith. The Night Lords have been shown to use each of the major Chaos powers in equal measure as tools.
[edit] Inspiration
The backstory and appearance of the Night Lords, in particular the story of Konrad Curze, appears to show a 'dark alternative' to many superhero and crime fighter stories, including those of Batman and The Punisher. Certain elements of the classic tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde can also be recognized in the story of Konrad Curze.
Konrad Curze may be an amalgamation of Joseph Conrad (author of Heart of Darkness, upon which much of Konrad Curze's story seems based) and Colonel Kurtz, a rogue officer and 'murderer' from the movie Apocalypse Now (basically Heart of Darkness set during the Vietnam War); M'Shen (the assassin) resembles Martin Sheen, the actor who played Kurtz's executioner.
'Nostramo', the planet on which Konrad Curze grew up, can also be seen as a reference to the title of the Joseph Conrad novel 'Nostromo', furthering the theory set out above.
[edit] Quotes
- "At times, in raptures of pain, I saw what was to occur laid out before me. In these waking dreams, I took countless lives with my bare hands, heads taken as trophies. I died again and again at the hands of my father. My sons butchered and maimed their brothers. My name was to become synonymous with dread. But most vividly and with most frequency, I saw my world pierced by a lance of purest light, splitting it, shattering it into dust."
- excerpt from The Dark, Konrad Curze's autobiography.
- "Your presence does not surprise me, Assassin. I have known of you ever since your craft entered the Eastern Fringes. Why did I not have you killed? Because your mission and the act you are about to commit proves the truth of all I have ever said or done. I merely punished those who had wronged, just as your false Emperor now seeks to punish me. Death is nothing compared to vindication."
- Konrad Curze's last words.
- "Ave Dominus Nox!"
- slogan left as graffiti by Commander Zso Sahaal (translation: "All Hail the Lord of the Night!")
- "...a glowing child-form it was, crawled from the Pit onto the broken street, hissing molten metal dripping from its limbs. It was a daemon, no less, with the body of an infant but the expression of an old man, its eyes black and cold as obsidian."
-Description of Konrad Curze's arrival on Nostramo
- He was waiting for us, the few nobles left alive in Nostramo, and as he squatted engulfed in shadow we thought he was (fragment missing). He dwarfed the luxurious throne he was perched in, the magnitude of his presence incredible. I could hardly breathe as he (fragment missing), his pallid, sunken features coming into the light of the glow-strips. Just then, I thought he was going to leap, and I could not move.
- But it seemed he had a use for us. We were to become his mouthpiece, the instruments through which he would command the people of Nostramo. His word was absolute: anyone straying from his path would be killed; not by us, or by enforcers. He would find the transgressors himself, and make an example of them. There was something in his tone then that made me want to run. Nonetheless, we had no choice but to obey."
-Description of Konrad Curze by a noble of Nostramo
[edit] References
- Games Workshop Design Staff (2002). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Chaos Space Marines, 1st Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-322-5.
- Spurrier, Simon (2005). Lord of the Night. Nottingham: Black Library. ISBN 1-84416-157-9.
- (September 2001) "Index Astartes – Night Lords". White Dwarf: Australian Edition (261). ISSN 0265-8712.
